Compare Health Plans
Prem Anand Author
Prem Anand
Prem Anand
VIP CONTRIBUTOR
Prem Anand
10 + years Experienced content writer specializing in Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance sectors. Proven track record of producing compelling, industry-specific content. Expertise in crafting informative articles, blog posts, and marketing materials. Strong grasp of industry terminology and regulations.
LinkedIn Logo Read Bio
Prem Anand Reviewed by
GuruMoorthy A
Prem Anand
Founder and CEO
Gurumoorthy Anthony Das
With over 20 years of experience in the BFSI sector, our Founder & MD brings deep expertise in financial services, backed by strong experience. As the visionary behind Fincover, a rapidly growing online financial marketplace, he is committed to revolutionizing the way individuals access and manage their financial needs.
LinkedIn Logo Read Bio
9 min read
Views: Loading...

Last updated on: July 9, 2025

Quick Summary

Day care treatment in health insurance can be confusing, but it’s crucial to understand when you’re looking at health insurance plans. A major pain point for people is not knowing how treatments that don’t require an overnight hospital stay are covered. This can lead to unexpected out-of-pocket costs if they’re not accounted for in your health plan. The ‘What is Day Care Treatment in Health Insurance’ guide helps by clearly explaining what day care treatments are, like minor surgeries or treatments that take less than 24 hours. It assures you that with the right coverage, these treatments are reimbursed, thus reducing the worry of paying large amounts yourself. Additionally, it simplifies the claim process, so you’re not bogged down with paperwork after a quick treatment. Knowing this makes health insurance less daunting and lets you focus more on your health.

Compare & Apply Best Health Insurance Providers in India

Star Health

Star Health

  • Min Premium – ₹ 3600/year
  • Network Hospitals – 14,000+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 82.3%
Get Quote
Future Generali

Future Generali

  • Min Premium – ₹ 4544/year
  • Network Hospitals – 6300+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 98.1%
Get Quote
HDFC Ergo

HDFC Ergo

  • Min Premium – ₹ 6935/year
  • Network Hospitals – 13,000+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 97–98%
Get Quote
Manipal Cigna

Manipal Cigna

  • Min Premium – ₹ 6600/year
  • Network Hospitals – 8500+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 95–98%
Get Quote
New India Assurance

New India Assurance

  • Min Premium – ₹ 2800/year
  • Network Hospitals – 8761+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 96%
Get Quote
Oriental

Oriental

  • Min Premium – ₹ 4320/year
  • Network Hospitals – 2177+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 90%
Get Quote
Shriram

Shriram

  • Min Premium – ₹ 6320/year
  • Network Hospitals – 5177+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 92%
Get Quote
Reliance

Reliance

  • Min Premium – ₹ 4188/year
  • Network Hospitals – 8000+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 99–100%
Get Quote
Royal Sundaram

Royal Sundaram

  • Min Premium – ₹ 3360/year
  • Network Hospitals – 8300+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 95–98%
Get Quote
Care Health

Care Health

  • Min Premium – ₹ 5740/year
  • Network Hospitals – 19,000+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 90% (2022–23)
Get Quote
Chola Health

Chola Health

  • Min Premium – ₹ 5740/year
  • Network Hospitals – 19,000+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – (90%)
Get Quote
IFFCO Tokio

IFFCO Tokio

  • Min Premium – ₹ 15,636/year
  • Network Hospitals – 10,000+ hospitals
  • Claim Settlement Ratio – 95%
Get Quote

What are Day Care Treatment in Health Insurance?

The need of effective health insurance solutions is increasing in India annually. There has been rapid change in medical technology and methods of treatment. Most of the procedures that used to consume days in the hospital can be completed in several hours. This has brought up a very significant term in the insurance world known as Day Care Treatment. We should learn what day care treatment is in a health insurance policy, why it is important in 2025, and how it saves you money on medical treatments.

What are Day Care Treatment in Health Insurance?

Day care treatment refers to any medical treatment or procedure that requires your admission to the hospital but does not have to admit you in the hospital a day and more. Insurance firms only covered procedure in which the patient was admitted in full day or more in the past. However, due to medical science advancements, there are several critical treatments which can be made in several hours.

Examples are chemotherapy, dialysis, cataract operations as well as angiography and even minor operations. You have the procedure in the hospital and you are sent home on the same day. Day care benefit means that the expenses can still be covered by your medical policy.

How is Day Care Treatment Different from Outpatient Department (OPD) and Hospitalisation?

Can Day Care be Hospital Stay?

No. When you are in day care, you are taken to a hospital but do not spend more than 24 hours. With hospitalisation, you should be admitted to exceed 24 hours to be covered.

What of OPD?

OPD therapies occur without being hospitalized. When you see a doctor or have some minor procedures done in the outpatient department, it is not necessarily OPD, but day care. Insurance has no effect over OPD unless you buy particular OPD cover.

Important Differences Table

Day Care TreatmentHospitalisationOPD (Outpatient)
AdmissionYes, but < 24hrsYes, >24 hrs
CoveragePart of policyPart of
ExamplesDialysis, ChemoMajor Surgery
Need for StayShort (few hours)Long

Did you think?
With rapid advancement in the medical facilities in India, it is observed that the amount of covered day care procedures in the fore fronting Indian health insurance plans has augmented to 600 or more, in comparison to 140 years ago.

What are the implications of Day Care Treatment in 2025?

What Does it Bring to Policyholders?

Health care is changing. Today, therapies are faster and less intrusive. This minimizes your healing process and allows you to resume normal life fast. Previously, when your process completed in half day you did not receive insurance claim. This may turn out to be very costly to families.

Insurance policies now maintain day care claims. You get:

  • Support of funds on further procedures
  • Mental calm even in brief treatments
  • Insurance on regular procedures such as dialysis or cancer treatment

What is the benefit of various age groups?

  • Children and Seniors: Commonly need short and essential treatments (like tonsil removal, cataract, sinus surgery)
  • Working Adults: Less working days missed and simple claim procedure

There are a large number of long term diseases, which need a repeat of the short term procedure as well. Day care coverage also implies that you do not have to worry about the expenses every time.

Practitioner Perspective:
Dr. Shalini Prabhu, a prominent health policy thinker in Mumbai, predicts that day care treatments accounted around 35 percent of insurance claims in 2024-25, and thus it is gaining significance.

Which Treatments are Day Care Procedures?

What Treatments and Surgeries are Involved?

The extent of the list of procedures done at day care varies with insurers. In India, in general, large insurers are:

  • Cataract operation
  • Radiation and chemotherapy
  • Dialysis
  • Tonsillectomy
  • Nasal surgery and sinus surgery
  • Varicose vein surgery
  • Lithotripsy (removal of kidney stones)
  • Endoscopy and colonoscopy
  • Simple reconstructive surgeries
  • Surgeries of the eye such as glaucoma
  • Treatment of wounds, ablation treatments

What is Covered How to Know?

  • Every policy has its own accepted list. The latest plans by the health insurance companies in 2025 cover up to 300 to 600 of such procedures.
  • Never fail to check the policy schedule or the day care list in your policy document.
  • Where there is doubt, then one can contact the insurer or talk to the insurance desk at hospital before admission.

Distinctive aspects of Day Care Treatment

  • Admitted and Discharged the same day: Eliminates needless Hospital stay
  • Pre and Post Hospitalisation Cover: Pre and post procedure expense can be covered
  • Encompasses Newer Methods: Supports laser, endoscopic procedures and key holes.
  • Specified List: All those stated procedures are covered by day care

Did you think?
A number of insurers tie-up with leading hospitals to provide cashless claims, hence you do not dig into your own pocket to pay the listed day care treatments.

What is the Way to Claim Day Care Treatment?

What is Claim Procedure?

Claiming under day care is similar to regular hospitalisation claim. This is what you should do:

  • Planned Procedure: Let the insurer or TPA know ahead of time about the treatment in the event that it is not an emergency.
  • Enroll Documents: Offer prescription, admission and discharge summary, medical bills, diagnostics, issued by a doctor.
  • Cashless Facility: A lot of hospitals in 2025 will enable you to make your claims directly and cashlessly. You simply need to have your health card with you.
  • Reimbursement Option: You pay up-front, submit bills and have your cash returned after your claim has been approved.

What Documentations will be Required?

  • The letter of the doctor recommending the procedure
  • Evidence of admission into hospital
  • Last bill of hosptial
  • Discharge summary
  • Tests or inquiry reports

In 2025, most claims are settled within 7 to 15 days provided that paperwork is done correctly.

The other questions by people are:

I can claim a day care taking only 6 hours?
Yes, provided that the process is covered by your insurer, in its day care list, and you are admitted in a hospital.

What To Consider Before Getting Day Care Cover Policy?

What Are the Steps to Making the Right Choice of Policy?

Be on the hunt of:

  • Types as well as quantity of day care procedures covered
  • Size of hospital network that is cashless
  • Exclusions relating to day care (some may not cover dental, cosmetic procedures)
  • Waiting period where any exists
  • Claim limits or sub-limits

Comparison Example Table

Policy FeaturePolicy A (2025)Policy B (2025)
Number of Day Care Procs350600
Network Hospitals31624353
Waiting Period30 days (general)30 days (general)
Cashless SupportYesYes
Sub-LimitsNoneSome procedures only
Premium (20 years)Rs. 15,000 per yearRs. 14,200 per year

Informed opinion: Policies containing increased day care coverage are a bit more expensive, yet they save so much at the time of the claim.

In India, What are some of the Policies that Provide Good Day Care Benefit in 2025?

Day care treatment is covered nearly by all the major insurance schemes in India. As per the current trend, some of the popular options are:

  • HDFC ERGO Optima Restore
  • Star Health family health optima
  • ICICI Lombard Complete Health
  • Max Bupa reAssure
  • Niva bupa health recharge
  • Care Health Insurance
  • Tata AIG Medicare
  • Bajaj Allianz Health Guard

You should always compare upon personal need before you make purchases. In case of family cancer or kidney issues, consider policies that have broader day cares lists.

More facilities have also been made available as day care with urbanisation and new hospitals. This allows the families and working individuals to address medical problems without significant interference.

The other questions by people are:

Are day care all minor surgeries?
Not all. Day care are paid out only on the surgeries that have been listed in the policy schedule. Document must always be checked.

What is the Way of Comparing and Applying Day Care Health Insurance?

Want to compare, use fincover.com to do it fast and easy. This is how you may accomplish it in 2025:

  • Type your age, city, amount of coverage
  • Find policies of all health insurances including day care benefit
  • Compare day care treatments, premiums, claim process
  • Choose the most appropriate one according to your requirement and budget
  • Apply online and obtain immediate issuance of policy

You are also able to get ratings in terms of user reviews and claim settlement ratios to make an intelligent decision.

Did you think?
Day care benefit is one of the top three filters along with pharmacy benefit of more than 47 percent young urban Indians who search the web before they purchase a health insurance policy.

What is the Best Way to Use Your Day Care Benefit?

To maximize your day care cover write:

  • Marrying family-knowing what is covered in your policy.
  • Picking of network hospitals on cashless claim.
  • Saving your policy softcopy and health card as emergency.
  • To ensure treaments are not delayed by getting them pre-approved by the insurer beforehand.
  • By renewing your policy in good time, you will ensure that you maintain the eligibility to claim hence smooth renewal.

What are Some of the Typical Exclusions of Day Care Treatment?

Day Care What Is Not Covered.

Each insurance carrier has some exclusions. The following are what are not normally paid as day care treatment:

  • Cosmetic or Aesthetic surgery
  • Dental procedure (unless due to accident or listed)
  • IVF or infertility InfertilityInfertility
  • Experimental procedures
  • OPD, no hospitalization OPD
  • Treatments in clinics or home

Read your policy wordings; read your wordings always; conditions vary.

The other questions by people are:

Is the maternity treatment day care?
Day care does not usually cover maternity treatments, most plans have a separate maternity cover.

Quick Recap (TL;DR)

  • Day care treatment is hospital procedures less than 24 hours in which the day care treatment is completed.
  • By 2025, most insurance deals would provide 300-600 plus procedures, day care cover.
  • Significant ones: cataract, dialysis, chemo, small surgeries.
  • Before treatment, always find out the list of approved insurers.
  • Customer can compare and purchase day care insurance online at fincover.com.
  • The policy must be checked since not all practices are covered as a day care.

People Also Ask (FAQ)

Q1: Does every health policy in India have day care?
Day care is included with most but not all of the contemporary policies with a variable number of procedures listed.

Q2: What is the limit of various day care?
The day care claims are paid to the sum insured limit of the plan, unless there is a special sub-limit of a particular procedure.

Q3: Does day care include OPD procedures?
No, except when it is stated in the insurance policy. OPD treatment is an outpatient treatment meaning there is no admission, therefore not normally covered as day care.

Q4: Do you have cashless facility on day care treatment?
Yes. In case the hospital is in the network of your insurance company and also the procedure is listed in it.

Q5: How can I facilitate day care claim?
In advance, inform your insurer, submit all the documents, and select a network hospital to get a quick cashless benefit.

Q6: Is there a day care coverage in both the individual and family floaters?
Yes, this is an entitlement in individual and family plans in India.

The coverage of medical health insurance against day care treatment makes you ready to sell the latest and fast treatments without having to worry financially. By having their policy information and documents available, one can get a restful sleep during the most crucial times.

Related Search

Popular Searches

What is?

Health Insurance by Sum Insured

ICICI Lombard

HDFC Ergo

Care Health

Star Health

Written by Prem Anand, a content writer with over 10+ years of experience in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance sectors.

Who is the Author?

Prem Anand is a seasoned content writer with over 10+ years of experience in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance sectors. He has a strong command of industry-specific language and compliance regulations. He specializes in writing insightful blog posts, detailed articles, and content that educates and engages the Indian audience.

How is the Content Written?

The content is prepared by thoroughly researching multiple trustworthy sources such as official websites, financial portals, customer reviews, policy documents and IRDAI guidelines. The goal is to bring accurate and reader-friendly insights.

Why Should You Trust This Content?

This content is created to help readers make informed decisions. It aims to simplify complex insurance and finance topics so that you can understand your options clearly and take the right steps with confidence. Every article is written keeping transparency, clarity, and trust in mind.